Antimagnetic device for watches.



` PATENTBD APR. 2, 1907.

ANTIMAGNETIG DEVICE POR WATCHES. A PPLIOA'FION FILED JAN. 4. 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEFTCE.

ASIIBEL T. WALL, OF EAST GREENWIOH, RIIODE ISLAND, AND ORLANDO M.l

THOWLESS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application tiled January 4,1905. Serial No. 239.549.

T0 all wh/owt t may concern:

Be it known that we, Asi-IBEL T. VALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Greenwich, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, and ORLANDO M. Tr-row- Lnss, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Antimagnetic vDevices for I/Vatches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for watches and similar articles and to the manu* facture of the same, and has for its objects the production of a watchcase and other parts having tli'e property of protecting the movement from the action of electric and magnetic influences, at the same time producing a watchcase having the same appearance, as far as may be desired, as any other watchcase not having the aforesaid quality of protection against electric or magnetic in- Iiuences.

It is well known that when watches are brought near to sources of electric currents the steel parts are very liable to become affected and the regularity of the movable steel parts interfered with. Now that powerful electric generators, motors,- and other electric appliances are so generally used for various purposes a person may unwittingly come near these sources or appliances and iind that the watch he` carries is affected thereby. By means of this invention a watchcase can be produced having all the appearance of a gold case on its outer surface or on outer and inner as well, yet still carry with it the above quality of protecting the movement against the influences mentioned. The same effect of appearance can be produced with silver or platinum instead of gold or even with copper or other metals or alloys where some particular finish of case is required-that is to say, if it is required to have a silver-appearing case it is necessary to substitute silver in place of gold, as stated above, and other metals in the same way.

To explain the construction and manu- Jfacture of this device, an illustration may be given in the method of producing a watchcase having all the appearance and finish of a gold case throughout. To do this, a plate of gold of requisite thickness and quality is formed, and on this is placed a plate of a proportionate thickness of soft iron or an alloy of soft iron and nickel or some other metal or alloy capable of protecting the movement from magnetic or electric influences. On the sott iron or other magnetic metal, which for sake of reference I will term protecting metal, there is placed a second plate of gold; but this latter will be on the opposite side from the 'first gold plate. These three plates are bound together, put into a muffle, and heated to a proper temperature, and by means of a suitable solder previously applied they are firmly united together to such an extent that they become to all intents and purposes of manufacture one solid metal. This metal is rolled, hammered, Jforged, or made into wire or tubing or other forms requisite Jfor shaping into a watchcase, and after being so formed and made into a watchcase it can be polished, chased, engraved, or finished in the way such articles usually are. When properly worked, there will be produced a watchcase finished and in appearance the same as a gold case, and by reason of the protecting metal contained and forming 'a layer therein the case will have the quality of protecting the movement from magnetic or electrical inuences.

In some parts it may not be necessary to have gold on both sides of the protecting metal, as also in some instances it may not be necessary to form plates, as a tube of gold or other metal may be drawn or formed around a solid rod of the protecting metal or a tube may be formed around a tube of the protecting metal and this latter be left hollow or some other metal than gold be placed inside this latter tube.

The illustration given above is for a goldappearing case, but it will be readily understood that any other metal may be substituted for the gold, when the operations will be practically the same.

For the better protection of the move ment from magnetic currents this invention contemplates making the stem, crown, and even at times the bow of the same layers of metal as described.

IOO

While the construction of the case as given provides for a watchcase which will have a layer of protecting metal in all the necessary parts and in some cases throughout, there is still one other part o'l. the watch which must be protected and that is the dial-plate or, as it is commonly called, the dial, for should a watchcase l'ront be opened near an electric current it might be seriously damaged. This is especially true of openiiaced watches, and without proper proteci tion in the dial part the case itself would not be sul'iicient protection 'for the movement. This can be accomplished by forming a plate of protecting metal and uniting copper to one or both sides thereof in about the same manner as done with gold hereinbefore described. This is worked into dial-plates and enameled in the usual way.

It has been proposed to make dials ol: enamel en iron plates but such a plan is impracticable, for the reason that the only enamel used for watch-dials is one made especially for the purpose and would not be suitable for iron., as it would not adhere thereto, nor would the enamel used lor iron be suitable lor watch-dials. Therefore a dial-plate made of magnetic metal with copper united thereto would be to all intents and purposes of enameling the same as a dial-plate made entirely ol copper, which is the only metal used for the purpose.

The method et constructing the watchcase as be'lore described may be modilied somewhat, as the above description contemplates the entire watchcase being formed or' a series of layers oli metal, one of which is the protecting metal, and this modification may be that where the back o'lE the case has a cap under it the back or outer case p art need not contain the layer of protecting metal, but may be o'l" the ordinary type, such as gold, silver, or other metal, or the back part of the case may contain the protecting metal and the'cap be made as usual of the metal desired. This would apply also as regards the open-faced watchcase, lior the dial-plate would be. a protection for this class.

In some cases it may not be desirable to form the center ol" the case with the protecting metal layer united to the gold of the case-center, so a band of the protecting metal may be placed around the movement to answer this purpose.

It is to be understood in this invention that between the layers of the gold, silver, or other metal and the protecting metal any other metal may be placed to better form a union, or to save expense of manufacture, or for any other purpose. The layer of protecting metal will be found of great service as a material for sti'l'l'ening a case aside from its quality of protection against magnetic inluence.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central sectional view through a watchcase. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view or' the improved metal. Fig. 5 is a central section ol: a dial, showing numbers thereon. Fig -lf is a central sectional view ol a watchcase, showing the band Ii around the circumference of the movement.

Similar letters reler generally to like parts throughout the several views, in which- A represents generally a watehcase, I3 being the stem thereof, C the center, D the cap under the back case, E the crystal, F generally the movement, G the gold or other covering metal, II the magnetic or protecting metal.

I shows a covering metal on the opposite side of the protecting metal.

J is the dial-plate enameled.

In Fig. et the same letters generally represent the same parts as in the other views, with the addition of K, which shows the protecting metal band of solt iron around the movement.

In the diH'erent views the letters G, II, and I represent the protecting metal coated with gold or other metals on both surfaces.

In Fig. l the bow of the watchcase A is marked with all three of these letters, showing an outer covering of some suitable metal, such as gold, at G on the protecting metal II, with a core of gold or other suitable metal I within the protecting metal I'I, while in Fig. 4 the bow is shown with a solid core of the protecting` metal I-I, having a covering of the metal G thereon.

For the better understanding of the dillerent parts Fig. 2 is displayed as showing the general construction of the invention as regards the manner of making the layers of metal. Therefore II is the protecting metal, and G and I the metals united, respectively, to each side, of it for the purpose ol lforming a commercial article.

Throughout this specification the term watch is to be regarded as covering a watch as generally accepted, meaning the case and movement combined, so that when it is necessary to indicate the watchcase only or the movement only they will receive these latter names to designate each individually. Therefore it will be understood when the word watch is used it means the movement and case and all that is contained therein.

Although modi'lications have been shown in this speciiication, it is considered preferable to have all the parts of the watchcase proper made of the layers of metal containing the protecting metal, as hereinbelore described, so that even the case-springs may be protected from magnetization. For this reason the crown, bow, and stem are shown as so made. In some instances those parts may be made of plain metal-that is to say, without having any layers of the protecting metal inclosed therein. Other parts of the watch- ILO case might be constructed in the same manner; but it is considered better to have the movement substantially surrounded by the protecting metal in the best manner and in all its parts.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An antimagnetic device for Watches, consisting of a Watchcase, composed in necessary parts of magnetic metal, and having an enameled dial-plate formed of magnetic metal with copper Welded to one or both sides thereof, and the enamel on the face of the copper.

2. An antimagnetic device for Watches, consisting of a Watchcase, composed in necessary parts of magnetic metal and having attached to the movement an enameled dialplate formed of magnetic metal With copper Welded to one or both sides thereof, and the enamel on the face of the copper.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a dialplate for Watches, formed of a layer of magnetic metal With one or more layers of copper Welded thereto.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a dial for Watches, composed of magnetic metal Welded to layers of copper, and having enamel on the face of the copper, properly 'ligured 5. In an antimagnetic device for Watches, the combination of the Watchcase, A, composed of magnetic metal, H, united to the covering metals, G, and l, with the enameled dial-plate, J, formed of magnetic metal Welded to layers of copper having the enamel on the face of the copper, and the movement, F, as described.

6. In an antimagnetic device for Watches, the combination of the Watchcase, A, the dialplatev1 J, formed of magnetic metal Welded to layers of copper and the enamel on the face of the copper, the magnetic band, K, and the movement, F, as described.

ASHBEL T. WALL. ORLANDO M. THOWLESS. Witnesses for Ashbel T. Wall:

GEORGE S. LINCOLN, GILMAN E. JoPP. Witnesses for Orlando M. Thowless:

BARCLAY DUNHAM, WM. H. MEADoWcRoFT. 

